Sad news

Poppy828

Poppy828

Active member
Seems our Onyx...Let me rephrase...My wifes babies have gone MIA. We saw them this morning on the way into the office, but upon return they were no where to be found. I checked both overflows and sump. Even tore some of the tank down to see if they were hiding. Drained both overflows and re-checked sump. Not a sign of them anywhere.

I wonder if I have a reef monster in there that nabbed them? Emerald crab? The new serpent star that I put in last night?

Needless to say, my wife is very upset and has lost some interest in the tank now.

Maybe they will show up again....
 
I thought the same thing, but who knows. Sux though. They were cool and she really liked them. Her favorite piece of the tank.
 
did they both go carpet surfing?? do you have any other animals that would have eaten them had the jumped. dog, cat..... sorry that sucks though.
 
I hope the serpent star didn't nab them...maybe they are just really hiding out...I have gone on more than one mission with a bright flashlight looking in every nook and cranny until I found what I was looking for. Hope they're okay...
 
I took a mag flashlight and went hunting in every nook and cranny I could find Ladipyg...nothing remotely visible. I can't see how a serpent with a body barely bigger than 1 clown would eat both of them.

My only thought is they went down the drain and got sucked in the skimmer. But again...both???? I guess that's possible, but would think very unlikely.
 
I had two chromis that just disappeared on me...then I noticed some slime coming from a rock. It turned out to be a bristle worm going to town on one of the chromis. I just assumed the same thing happened to the other. I had a small GSM go MIA as well. Now I think it was the darn bristle worm. Hopefully this wasn't the case for you, Good luck on your hunt!
 
bristle worms are scavengers. They don't pounce out and grab healthy fish. You probably were witnessing the bristle worms taking care of business after the chromis died. That's why they are benifitial.
 
Check the skimmer...I have had a very small tomato clown get sucked into a Diatom filer overnite and survive...so you have an in tank overflow or an overflow box...I had a wrasse hide out in the false back of my tank for over a month one time...I kept looking and never saw it...it got darker in color and hid behind the overflow tube every time I looked. The fact that both of them are missing means they were hanging out together and got in trouble...Check everywhere...any sponges...do you have a valve from the overflow into the sump/fuge that may be keeping them from completing the trip...If you do, open the valve all the way for a few seconds and see what happens...Don't give up hope...do you have a turkey baster or Squirt...try blasting some water into the rocks and see if any remains or hints of remains appear...How big is your clean up crew? How small were the clowns?
 
Normally it isn't the serpent stars that are a problem... typically the savage beast stars are green brittle stars. That sucks to hear about the clowns. I know how she feels. After losing my male Lyretail during the breakdown it can be a little disheartening. Unfortunately it is an ecosystem in our homes and things like this are bound to happen. Doesn't make it any easier but tell her to not become disheartened with the hobby, despite the money pit that it is... it really is cool to have a piece of the reef in your home at all times.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11053779#post11053779 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NewSchool04
what type of serpent star? green?
Click to expand...

Small purpleish red serpent and a tan with dark brown stripes. No green ones. Literally, the body on these guys are the size of your thumbnail.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11054032#post11054032 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ladipyg
Check the skimmer...I have had a very small tomato clown get sucked into a Diatom filer overnite and survive...so you have an in tank overflow or an overflow box...I had a wrasse hide out in the false back of my tank for over a month one time...I kept looking and never saw it...it got darker in color and hid behind the overflow tube every time I looked. The fact that both of them are missing means they were hanging out together and got in trouble...Check everywhere...any sponges...do you have a valve from the overflow into the sump/fuge that may be keeping them from completing the trip...If you do, open the valve all the way for a few seconds and see what happens...Don't give up hope...do you have a turkey baster or Squirt...try blasting some water into the rocks and see if any remains or hints of remains appear...How big is your clean up crew? How small were the clowns?
Click to expand...

I checked the skimmer last night also. After my last post last night, I took the tank mostly apart to try and find them. Emptied the sump, took apart the skimmer pump, re-checked the built in overflows and associated plumbing pieces in them, took the valves off to see if they got caught up in there somehow even though they were wide open, checked anyway. Took apart the aquascaping to check in,under and around rocks. Nothing.

Clean up crew consists of blue legged hermits (15ish), 1 emerald crab, 2 turbo snails and the 2 serpent stars. (Note to self...clean up crew is a bit small, need more)

Clowns were roughly a half inch so basically a thumb nail in length. Well at least my fat thumb nail.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11054741#post11054741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Larry Waughon
Todd I hope they show up. Bad enough to loose one, but both is terrible.
Click to expand...

Yes it sux big time. They were cool and had started to eat out of my hand...well one of them. I thought that was awesome being that they were still smaller and new to the tank. The last pair we had took months to do that.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11054845#post11054845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sullyman
Hopefully they'll be out in the morning, probably hiding, new tank and all.
Click to expand...

That was my hope Bob. No such luck though. Maybe when Elizabeth goes home for lunch they will be out??? Wishful thinking I am sure.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11054962#post11054962 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SlowCobra
Normally it isn't the serpent stars that are a problem... typically the savage beast stars are green brittle stars. That sucks to hear about the clowns. I know how she feels. After losing my male Lyretail during the breakdown it can be a little disheartening. Unfortunately it is an ecosystem in our homes and things like this are bound to happen. Doesn't make it any easier but tell her to not become disheartened with the hobby, despite the money pit that it is... it really is cool to have a piece of the reef in your home at all times.
Click to expand...

Well we chose not to have kids and have animals instead. SO the kitties and fish take that spot for her. She feels like she lost 2 of her kids last night she said.

As goofy as it sounds to be upset over fish, these are our little ones. I am still hopeful they will show up.
 
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